


Such Beautiful Hair

by ozuttly



Category: Sengoku Basara
Genre: Bathing, F/F, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-13 04:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2137692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozuttly/pseuds/ozuttly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Ieyasu offers to take a bath with her, Mitsunari refuses without hesitation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Such Beautiful Hair

The first time Ieyasu offers to take a bath with her, Mitsunari refuses without hesitation. 

It isn’t because she feels ashamed of showing her nakedness in front of another person - she and Ieyasu were both women anyways - but because Ieyasu always took far too long to wash up. Such time could much better be spent doing more important things, and Mitsunari could never understand why Ieyasu wasted precious minutes just soaking in the water. 

The idea of inactivity - of relaxation - was one foreign to her, and it always had been. 

Ieyasu had smiled at her refusal, but had backed off anyways, bathing by herself. 

***

It wasn’t until after their next battle that Ieyasu suggested another bath. Mitsunari had been about to refuse again, but Ieyasu’s eyes had narrowed, a confident smile on her face as she’d used the trump card that she knew Mitsunari could never resist. 

"If you don’t properly rest when you’re supposed to, Mitsunari, you won’t be able to use your full potential in the next battle. Relaxing is also part of your duty owed to Hideyoshi-sama."

Mitsunari had scowled at the suggestion, that Ieyasu of all people would know what that duty required. But she had simply huffed, ever so slightly, and agreed, on the basis that it was only for the sake of the Toyotomi. 

Ieyasu’s eyes had been dancing with a victorious light, and Mitsunari had hated it. 

***

"Hmmm… I never noticed it as much under your armour, but you’re very thin, aren’t you, Mitsunari?" Ieyasu had asked as they undressed together. Mitsunari felt a heat that she didn’t understand rise up in her face as she set her clothing aside. 

"As long as it does not affect my service to the Toyotomi, paltry things like body type matter not," she had replied, her voice sharp and cold. 

Yet, she couldn’t deny that her eyes had strayed for just a moment too long when Ieyasu had removed her shirt, revealing small breasts and a hard, well-toned stomach. It was nothing compared to the power of lord Hideyoshi, of course, but Ieyasu was perhaps the closest a woman could ever come to his excellence. She was shorter than most, stockier and with a physique that many would call unwomanly, and yet Mitsunari still found her eyes drawn to the slight curve of her waist, to powerful hips and—

She turned away. It was not that she felt embarrassed, per say, but something about gazing at that part of Ieyasu’s body felt taboo. It felt like a violation of the simple etiquette that lord Hanbei had taught her when she was a child. 

'A lady should not gaze openly with desire, Sakichi. Make sure you keep your glances subtle.'

At the time, she had not known what such words meant. And yet, once Ieyasu had begun to pester her more and more, they resounded in her head more often, a reminder that she should keep herself under control lest she disappoint lord Hanbei’s trust in her. 

"I didn’t mean to offend you, of course," Ieyasu laughed, cutting through her thoughts. "It just surprised me, is all. You’re so fierce on the battlefield, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine you as a person with such a slight physique. I guess you could say that you look softer, somehow," she mused, and Mitsunari felt her scowl darken. 

"I apologize, for not being a mannish brute like you," she snapped, but rather than showing offense, Ieyasu just laughed, patting Mitsunari on the back with one large hand. 

"You don’t have to be so surly about it. You’re very pretty, Mitsunari, I promise." 

The words made that strange heat build up in her chest again, especially when Ieyasu’s fingers trailed through her hair, gently pulling through knots and tangles. 

"I already said I don’t care for how I look. Your compliments are pointless," she reinforced, but Ieyasu just hummed, pulling away with the tiniest of smiles. 

The bath was a hot spring, for a change, and while Mitsunari did not understand what was so wonderful about sitting, unmoving, in a pool of hot water, Ieyasu practically melted into it, a contented sigh leaving her lips. 

Mitsunari sat stock still at first, until Ieyasu finally goaded her into relaxing the tension in her muscles, lowering herself into the water until only her nose and eyes were above the surface. 

"There you go," Ieyasu had chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Mitsunari’s only response was a few displeased bubbles coming up from her mouth. 

They sat like that for a while, just resting and enjoying the heat, before they got out to wash. Ieyasu kept stealing glances Mitsunari’s way, until she finally responded with a harsh glare, feeling strangely self-conscious. 

"What?" She asked gruffly, and Ieyasu made a noncomittal noise. 

"It’s just… I’ve wondered for a while, but why don’t you take better care of your hair, Mitsunari?" She asked, and Mitsunari paused. She didn’t understand the question; she always washed her hair with water, sometimes soap if she remembered it. The confusion must have shown on her face, as Ieyasu laughed merrily once more. "It’s just, it’s so long, and it’s always getting tangled and mussed in battle. If you don’t cut it, you must like how it looks, right? But you never do anything special with it, so I thought it was a bit odd."

Mitsunari frowned at the explanation, her eyes closing in annoyance. 

"Such a foolish question. Hanbei-sama hasn’t ordered me to cut it, so I see no need, nor have I received any other orders. Why would I change my appearance when it is not required of me?" she asked, and Ieyasu looked only the slightest bit put off by her answer. 

"You should live for yourself, Mitsunari," She said, and it was such a foolish notion that Mitsunari didn’t even consider it. "But I suppose when you put it that way… It’s still a shame. It would be very pretty if you put it up." 

Mitsunari exhaled, clearly done with the conversation. She didn’t understand why Ieyasu was making such a big deal of this; she wore her own hair like a man’s, short and slicked back. It suited her, yes, but… Mitsunari frowned and closed her eyes. 

***

"Mitsunari, I need you to—" Ieyasu froze in the doorway, a letter in hand. Mitsunari was inside, polishing the blood from her armour, and her eyes looked up at Ieyasu’s presence. 

"What?" She’d asked, blunt as always, but Ieyasu was too busy looking at her hair, wound tightly into a bun with a simple hair pin. 

The shorter girl felt a hot blush rising to her cheeks at the sight, and she quickly shook her head to clear the ridiculously proud smile from her face.


End file.
